Having a Vibrant Prayer life

The Bible contains countless instructions to believers on the theme "PRAYER". From Paul's letter to the church in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 5:17) to Jesus' instruction to his disciples "(Luke 18:1)Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

While on earth, Jesus, on several occasions separated himself to pray (Mark 6:46; "Luke 5:16) But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

The examples laid down by Jesus and the instruction from Paul to the early church tells the importance of prayer.

Prayer is a vital sign of spiritual fervency, it is acknowledging God as your sufficiency. Prayer is the core of every believer, the act of praying must be done daily, fervently and continuously (Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2).

Praying deepens intimacy with God, it helps Believers stand firm against temptation (Matthew 26:41) “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Praying also aligns Believers to God's will. 

However, Christians still struggle with keeping a consistent Prayer life. Several times, Christians mutter to themselves "I want to pray more, but I don't know how to go about praying" if you currently are in this shoe, consider following the steps below:

– Understand what Prayer is and develop the right mindset towards it. Prayer is compulsory, it is not determined by your mood or schedule. Prayer should be done regardless of these factors. When you know this, you should then get your mindset rightly placed for it. You should no longer see prayers as something you do after other things have been done.

 – Create a Prayer Schedule. The disciples illustrated this in the Bible Acts 3:1

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon (NIV). The disciples had times dedicated to prayers, you should do that too. Make use of alarms for a prompt and regular reminder. 

 – Be Conscious of God's Presence. See God as your companion and friend, and know that you can always share your wins and worries with Him. The realisation of this stirs will stir you to pray and maintain intimacy with Him

– Remain Accountable. Submitting to a friend or Church Leader help keep you on track. Have prayer partners that will prompt you to pray. You could also embrace corporate/group prayers.

–Finally, Avoid Distraction. Just as Jesus separated himself to solitary places to pray (Luke 5:16), you should do so too. It helps you give your undivided attention to prayers.

Life comes with its challenges and navigating through it takes time, but, our time with the Father shouldn't be substituted. Prioritize prayer by being intentional, focused and disciplined.